Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1887-09-24
TIE PRIME MINISTER.
REV. DR.. TALMAeE's SERMON AT
THE BROOKLYN TABERNACLE.

N.Y. CIt.sf1sl F-iHHoCS O~i'"O'N ~
THE BROOKLYN TABERNACLE.
Every Man Is Finally Valued ut Ills
Real Notwithstanding to High Position
Through Public Abuse-Thc World
Mist Honor Christian charactor.
BnooKLYN, Sept. 1S-After being closed
for some weeks fol- improvements and en-
Engagements, the Brooklyn tabernacle was
opened today. The same overwhelming
throngs were in attendance as before. The
congregation sang with great effect tha hymn;
Buforc Johoyah's awful tlrene
Ye nations bow @fthsacrel Joy,
Know that the Lord is God alone
EIe can create ana he destroy.
After explaining appropriate passages of
Scripture DR.. Talnage took his text from
Gcncsis5 XII, Al: aAnd Pharaoh said untoS7
Joseph: See, I have set thee over all the land
Of Egypt The subject Of the sermon was
aThe Prime Minister" DR.. Talmage said:
You cannot keep good man down. God
has decreed for him certain elevation to
which; he must affirm. He will bring him
through, though it cost him 1000 worlds
There are men constantly IN trouble lest they
shall not be appreciated. Every man comes
In theSend to DO valued at just what no is
worth, How often you see men turn out all
their forces to crush one mnn or set of men.
How do they succeed No better than did
the government that tried to crush Josepl,
Scripture character upon which we speak to-
day It would BIO an insult to suppose that
You were not all familiar with the life OF
Joseph; how Ills jealous brothers threw him..
into the pit, but, seeing caravan OF Arabian
merchants moving along on their canlels
with-spices and gums that loaded the Dir
with aroma, sold their brother TO
these merchants, who carried him
down into Egypt; how Joseph was sold
to Potiphar, man of influence and Office;
how byintegrity be raised himself to high
position in the realm, until under the false
charge Of yilo wretcA he YVES hurled into
the penitentinl3r; how in prison lie commanded
respect and confidence; how by the nterpre-
tatlon Of Pharaoh's Cream llo was freed aud
became the chief man in tue government
the Bismarck Of the nation; ho@ in time of
famine Joseph had control of Il storehouse
which he had filled during the seven years Of
plenty; how whei his brothers, w.c had.
tlNown bin into tho pit and sold him into
captivity, applied for corn, no sent them
home with their beasts borne down under
the hefto the corn sacks; how the sin against
their brother. which had so long been hid
den. camc out Mt last, and was returned by
that brothers forgirenes3 aud Kindness, IN
illustrious triumph of Christian principle.
Learn from this story in tho first plIcc that
the world is compelled to honor christina
character. Potiplinr was ONLY man of the
world, vet Joseph rose in his estimation until
all the affairs of that great house wore COM
nlitted to:his charge. From this servant no
'honcrs or condolences were withheld. When
Joseph was III prison he.soon won the heart
OF the keeper, and, though piiced there for
bong q scoundrel, he soon convinced tina,
jailer.that he was ON innorentand trustworthy
:uirHs naia releascd from close confinement, he
;hecaTna Il general superintendent Of prison af-
:tairs hersyer Joseph was placed. whethera
;sersiis & house of Potiphar ora prisoner
IN tic pSiitcntiary, lie became the first'man
everywhere; ami Is all illustration Of the truth
i lay QOWlts bus:b Llio fhOlIO - SolAPSNcu w
honor Christian character.
There are those who nfrectto despise relg-
ious life. They speak Of it ns a system Of
pllebosouy, by which man Is bled of ell his
courage aud nobility. They say he has be-
meancd himself. They pretend to have no
more confidence in him since his conversion
than before his conversion. But all that Is
liypocrisy. 1t is impossible for any man not
TO admire and confide in Christian who
shows snat he has really become child of
God and is what he processes to be. You
cannot despise q son or daughter Of the
Lord God Almighty OF course tiaif and
half religious character wins 10 appreciation
Redwald the king Of the Saions, after Chris
tian baptism had two affairs, one for the wor
ship of God and the other for the sacrifice Of
devils. You may have contempt for such
men for nero pretersion religion, but
when you behold the excclency Of Jesus
Christ come out i'll the life of one Of his
disciples, all that there is good and noble in
YOUR soul rises up into admiration. Though
That Christian be as far beneath you in es-
tate as tho Egyptian slave Of whom we are
discussing, by an irrcvocable law of our
nature Potiphar and Pharaoh will always
esteem Joseph Chrysostom, when threat-
ened with death by EudoXia, the empress,
sent word to her saying: $50 tell her that
fear nothing but SILL" Such nobility Of
character will always DO applauded. There
was something in Agrippa and Felix which
demanded their respect for Paul, the rebel
against government. doubt not they would
Willingly have yielded their office and dignity
for the thousandth part of that true hcroisin
which bearned in the eye and beat in the
heart OF The uMccnquerable apostle. Tho in
fitel and worldlil1, are compelled to honor i'll
thoir hearts, though they may not eulogize
with their lips, u Christian firm i'll persecu-
rion, cheerful i'll poverty, trustful in losses,
triumphant in death. l find Christian men
in all professions and occupations, and
find them respected, and honored, and sue
cessrul. John Frederick Oberlin alleviating
ignorance and distress, john Howard pass
ing from dungeon to laZarctto with healing
for tho body and the soul, Elizabeth Frye
coming to the proligate of Newgate prison
to shal.o down their obduracy rs the angel
came to their prison at Philippi, driving open
the doors and swapping locks and chains, as
we'll as the lives OF thousands OF the follow
crs Of Jesus who havo devoted themselves to
the temporal and spiritual welfare of the
race are monuments Of the Christian religion
that shall not crunble whilo the world lasts
A mali in the cars said: u would like to
become Christian if only knew
what religion is. But if this "
ing and cheating and bad behavior
among men who profess to be good is
religion, want none of it." But, my friends,
if am all artist i'll Rome and man comes
to Inc and asks me what the art of painting
is I must not show him the daub of some
mere pretender 1 will take him to the
Raphaels and the Michael Angeles 1t is
most unfair and dishonest to take the igno-
minious failures in Christian profession in
stead Of the glorious successes. The Bible
and tho church are great picture galleries
filed With masterpieces.
Furthermore, we learn from this story of